This web site supports Dr. Russell Sabella's work on educating children, parents, educators and other stake holders about the responsible use of technology. Included in these pages you will find helpful resources, lesson plans, links, and more.

After a school has rules, processes, and committees in place to deal with Internet abuse, it is time to proceed with an educational program that puts together what the students know and what the adults understand. The program I advocate uses the acronym "I DON'T PLAY." This program is designed to keep students out of trouble in social networking sites and instant messages.

Identify the sender, if a student has another student's identification, it is possible for them to pose as that student online. Students using someone else's identification can really hurt other students. Students should have ways they can identify a sender, such as asking them questions only the sender can answer.

Do not respond to or retaliate for hurtful statements that are directed toward yourself or others. Agreeing with people who make nasty statements about others has a way of getting back to the victims. Retaliating statements are often shared and made public. Words in print are difficult to deny or take back.

Openly communicate with someone in authority or your parents when you receive a damaging message.

Never share your password. When I ask students whether anyone knows their password they will say no. Unfortunately, when I pursue the matter further, the students admit that they have told only their best friend or a couple of people they trust. Friendship fluctuation is quite common at this age--an old friend can become a new enemy, and then the students' identification is in bad hands.

Think carefully before sending messages. Once messages are sent, they cannot be called back.

Print out messages that are threatening. A paper trail will help the authorities stop the harassment.

Let the provider know about inappropriate conduct.

Actively change passwords and screen names on a regular basis. This is easy to do and will help keep students' identification out of the hands of other people.

Yearn to know more about the Internet and how it can be used. Implement processes and procedures with due diligence, using in-house resources and a team composed of students and faculty members to teach students about the potential of the Internet. Bring in outside speakers and presenters for help when necessary.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) specifically recommends<http://www.aap.org/family/tv1.htm> that children younger than two years old not use any screen media (including television, video games, and computers). They also recommend that children over two years old use screen media for less than two hours each day.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

A recent study by researchers in Australia shows that increased cell phone use is connected with cognitive function in young adults. Specifically, the study found that “the accuracy of working memory was poorer, reaction time for a simple learning task shorter, associative learning response time shorter and accuracy poorer in children reporting more mobile phone voice calls.”

The following are some highlights of this report, quoted directly from the Bioelectromagnetics journal article. The full text can be found by clicking here.

Greater mobile phone use was related to poorer accuracy on working memory and associative learning tasks.

Children who used mobile phones more were faster but less accurate on a number of tasks, suggesting they may be more impulsive than other children, favoring a quick, and not accurate, solution. This could be traced to functions such as ‘predictive texting,’ a feature that trains the user, in effect, to favor speed over accuracy.

Students who reported making or receiving more voice or SMS calls per week, and in particular more of both, demonstrated shorter response times on learning tasks, but less accurate working memory.

Those who reported making or receiving more voice calls per week also exhibited poorer inhibitory function

This study is a reminder that we need to help our children (and ourselves) limit the time spent using today’s wide array of connected technologies. Spending too much time texting and talking by phone robs them of the richness of face-to-face communication, as well as the opportunity to think and develop patience.

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) hosted an engaging panel discussion at the National Press Club with the goal of staring a national discussion around respect, online aggression, and their links to crime prevention. The event, Redefining Respect in America, featured speakers Deborah Norville (Inside Edition anchor and author of The Power of Respect), Rosalind Wiseman (author of Queen Bees and Wannabes); Rachel Simmons (author of Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls); Christopher Moessner (Senior Vice President, Research, Stewart and Partners); and Dr. Sameer Hinduja (Co-Director, Cyberbullying Research Center, Florida Atlantic University).

The event served as the formal launch NCPCs newest initiative, Circle of Respect, designed to inspire us to live in ways that embody respect where we live, learn, work, and play. This riveting session included a twenty minute dialogue between the panelists where they discussed questions from the links between violent behavior and kids who are bullied to how we restore respect in society that will lead to us to change behaviors such as sexting, cyberbullying, date rape, and gang violence.

Woogi World, a unique venue within the virtual social network, was created to teach a generation of elementary-age children to safely and effectively use the Internet to 1) enhance their academic skills, 2) build positive character traits, and 3) inspire them to work together to create a better world community.

“As children begin the use of technology and the Internet, it is critical that they learn cyber safety, security, and ethics. Woogi World is designed to integrate these elements into all of our educational content, games, and activities. We believe that this comprehensive approach is essential for children, parents, and educators, and we are pleased to be the first virtual community to provide it for young children.” Marsali Hancock President, iKeepSafewww.ikeepsafe.org

The Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health is dedicated to understanding and responding to the effects of media on the physical, mental, and social health of children through research, production, and education.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

As texting has become a centerpiece in teen social life, parents, educators and advocates have grown increasingly concerned about the role of cell phones in the sexual lives of teens and young adults. A new survey from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 4% of cell-owning teens ages 12-17 say they have sent sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to someone else via text messaging, a practice also known as “sexting”; 15% say they have received such images of someone they know via text message. Read more: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/Teens-and-Sexting.aspx

Monday, January 4, 2010

The MacArthur Foundation launched its five-year, $50 million digital media and learning initiative in 2006 to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. Answers are critical to developing educational and other social institutions that can meet the needs of this and future generations. The initiative is both marshaling what is already known about the field and seeding innovation for continued growth.

The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, is making available a range of professional resources to assist schools in addressing the challenges of safe and responsible Internet use and the important shift to 21st Century learning environments.

Most of the resources that will be available are in the form of video presentations - with accompanying presentation handouts. Other documents will also be provided. Some will be available for use at no charge for non-profit educational purposes.

These resources are grounded in a new three-part framework the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use is setting forth under the overall concept of Cyber Savvy Schools.